Investigation of Nonvolatile Amines in Agricultural Products

Histamine (Him), tyramine (Tyr), putrescine (Put), and cadaverine (Cad), known as nonvolatile amines (NVA), have been identified as particular public health risks. We analyzed 102 samples of 64 agricultural products in Japan. Him was present in 12 products, with eggplant, spinach, and tomatoes containing higher concentrations than other agricultural products. Tyr was present in 29 products, the concentration of which peaked at 132 μg/g in hanabiratake mushrooms. Therefore, we think that patients taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors may need to exercise caution when consuming products containing such high Tyr concentrations. Put was present in many items, especially in solanaceous vegetables, with concentrations of 100 μg/g or more in shishito pepper, sweet pepper and sweet corn, while Cad was present in 15 products, peaking at 3.2 μg/g in sweet pepper. The combination of these foods with foods containing high Him concentrations may lead to allergy-like symptoms.